Consider the following statements about Blood Moon:
1. A Blood Moon occurs only when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth during a total lunar eclipse.
2. The reddish appearance of the Moon is due to Earth's atmosphere bending and filtering sunlight.
3. The term “Blood Moon” is popularly used, but it has no formal recognition in astronomical nomenclature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Question

Consider the following statements about Blood Moon:
1. A Blood Moon occurs only when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth during a total lunar eclipse.
2. The reddish appearance of the Moon is due to Earth's atmosphere bending and filtering sunlight.
3. The term &ldquo;Blood Moon&rdquo; is popularly used, but it has no formal recognition in astronomical nomenclature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

In September 2025, people across Asia and Europe witnessed a total lunar eclipse that turned the Moon a deep red.

Statement 1 is not correct: A Blood Moon does not depend on the Moon being at its closest point to Earth; its reddish hue occurs solely due to a total lunar eclipse. During this event, Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon, but some light still bends through our atmosphere, with red wavelengths dominating due to Rayleigh scattering. This gives the Moon its characteristic red glow. The Moon&rsquo;s proximity to Earth defines a Supermoon, not a Blood Moon, so while a full Moon can be both super and blood, the two phenomena are independent.

Statement 2 is correct: The red color of the Moon is caused by Rayleigh scattering and the refraction of sunlight through Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere, where shorter blue and violet wavelengths are scattered out, allowing the longer red wavelengths to bend and reach the Moon.

Statement 3 is correct: The term &ldquo;Blood Moon&rdquo; is popular in media and folklore but is not an official astronomical classification; astronomers simply call it a total lunar eclipse.

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